The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-08-20

CHICAGO Aug 1.-THE Times special from
Forest Ill., says: All the railway horrors In the
history OF this country were surpassed three
miles at of Chatsworth last night when an
e9crrsion train on the Toledo, Peoria and
Western roud dropped through burning bridge
and over one hundred people we're killed, and
four times that number more or less badly in
jured The train was composed OF six sleeping
cars, day coaches and chair cars and three bag
gage. 1t was carrying nine hun
dred and sixty passengers, all excursion
lists, and was bound for niagara Falls The
train had been made up all along the line OF the
Toledo, Peoria and Western road and the cx-
cursionists hailed from various points in Cen
tral Illinois, the bulk OF them however, COM
ing from Peoria. Some of the passengers came
from Canton, from Ell Pnso, Washington, and,
in fact, all stations along the line; some from
as far west as Burlington ana Keokuls, Iowa.
A special and cheap rate had been made for
the excursion, and all sorts Of people took ad-
vantage of 1t.
When the train drew out OF Peoria at clock
last evening it was loaded to its utmost capac-
fly. Every berth in the six sleepers was taken,
and the day cars carried sixty people each. The
train was so heavy that two engines were hitch
ed to it. and when 1t passed this place 1t was an
hour and half behind time. Chatsworth, the
next station east of here is six miles of, and
the run there was made in seven minutes, so the
terrible momentum OF those fifteen coaches and
two heavy engines, shooting through space ut
the rate OF mile minute, can be understood.
No stop was made at Chatsworth, and on and
on the heavy train with its living freight, spec
| through the darkness OF the night. Three
miles east OF Chatsworth is little slough and
there the railroad track crosses dry run about
| ten feet deep and fifteen wide. Over this was
stretched an ordinary wooden trestlo bridge,
| and as the excursion train came laundering
| down on it, what was the horror Of the engineer
| on the front engine when he saw that this
bridge was aiire. Right up before his eyes
leaped the bright flames and the next instant
| he was among them. There was no chance to
| stop. Had there been warning, it would have
taken half mile to stop that on-rushng mass
| of wood, iron and human lives, and the train
was within one hundred yards OF the red
| tongued messengers OF death before they flashed
their fatal signals into the engineers face But
| he passed over in safety, the first engine keep
| ing the rails.
| AS it went over the bridge fell beneath 1t,
| and 1t could only have been the terrific speed
| OF the train which saved the lives OF the engi-
| neer and his fireman. But the next engine went
down and instantly the deed Of death was
| done. Car crushed into car, coaches piled one
| on top OF another, and in the twinlling OF an
! eye nearly one hundred people found instant
death and fifty more were so hurt they could
not live. AS for the wounded, they were
| everywhere. Only the sleeping coaches
escaped. and as the startled and halfdressed
passengers came tumbling out OF them they
| found such a scene OF death Us is rarely wit
| messed, and such work to do that 1t seemed rs
| II human hands were utterly incapable. 1t
| lacked but five minutes OF midnight. Down
IN the ditch lay the second engine-Engineer
McClintock dead and Fireman Applegate
badly injured On top were PILED
| the three baggage cars one on top of another,
like u child's card-house after he had swept It
! with his hand Then came the six day coaches.
| They were telescoped rs cars never were be-
| fore, and three OF them were pressed into just
space enough for one. The second car had
mounted of it's trucks. crashed through the car
ahead OF it, crushing the woodwork aside like
| tinder. and lay there resting on the tops OF the
seats, while every passenger in the front car
was lying dead or dying underneath. Out OF
| that car but four people came alive. On top OF
| the second car lay the third, and although the
latter did not cover its bearer as completely, its
bottom was smeured with the blood OF its VIC
tins. The other three cars were not so badly
| crushed but they were broken and twisted in
every conceivable way. and every crushed tim
| ber and beam represented a crushed human
| frame and broken bone.
| Instantly the air was filled with the cries Of
| the wounded and the shrieks Of those about to
| die. The groans OF men, the screams OF women
united 10 make an appalling sound and above
NIL could be heard the agonizing cries OF little
| children, rs in some instances they lay pinned
alongside OF their dead parents. And there was
| another terrible danger yet 10 be met. The
bridge was Still burning, and the wrecked
| cars were lying on and around the fiercely
| burning embers Everywhere in the wreck
| were wounded and unhurt men, women and
| children whose lives could be saved il they
could be gotten out. but whose death, and death
| In most horrible form. was certain II the
| twisted wood OF the broken cars caught fire.
| And 20 fight the fire there was not drop of
water, and only some fifty ablebodied men who
| had still presence OF mind and nerve enough to
do their duty.
The only light was the light of the burning
bridge. And with so much OF its aid the fifty
men went to work to subdue it. For four hours
| they fought like fends, and for four hours the
| victory hung in the balance Earth was the
only weapon with which the fire could be fought.
| and SO the attempt was made to smother
it out. There was no pick or shovel to
dig it up, no basket or barrows to carry it in,
and so desperate they dug their fingers down
into the earth, which u long drought had baked
almost as hard rs stone, and heaped the prec-
ious handfuls thus hardly won, upon the en-
| croaching flames, and with this earthwork
built, handful by handful, kept back the foe.
While this was going on other brave men
| CT, ,pt underneath the wrecked cars, beneath
| the fire and the wooden bars which held prls-
| oncrs so many precious lives. and with pieces
| Of board and sometimes their hands, beat back
| the flames when they flashed up alongside
| some unfortunate wretch who, pinned Gown by
| n heavy beam, looked on helplessly while II
seemed MS II his death BY fire was certain and
| while the fight was thus going on the ears oil
| the workers were filed with the groans OF dy,
ing men, the anguished entreatics Oh those
| whose death seemed certain, unless the terrible
blaze could be extinguished, and the cries oil
those too badly hurt TO care in what manner the
end were brought about, SO only 1t would be
| quick So they dug up the earth with Their
| hands, reckless OF the blood streaming o'lt from
broken finger nails, and heaplng II up ii little
mounds, while all the while came the heart
rending cries, "For Gods sake, don't let US
burn to DEATH" +is
But finally the victory was won, the fire was
put out nfter four hours OF endeavor, and as 1t.
last spark died away light came up In tho cas
TO take its place. and dawn came upon seen,
OF horror
While the fight had been going on, men hat
been dying, and there was not SO many wound
ed to take out OF the wreck Us there had beel
four hours before. hut In the meantime, thu
country had been aroused; help had come from
Chatsworth, Forest and Piper City, and rs thu
dead were laid reverently alongside OF eacl
other out In the cornAeld, there were read,
hands to take them into Chatsworth, whil
some OF the wounded were carried TO Pipe
CITY,
one hundred and eighteen was the awful pol
49, .la.I .rn1F F<..,